Matt LaCroix Biography

Personal

History

Gimmick

A prodigal athlete since he was a child, it was apparent Matthew LaCroix was going to be the best at whatever he chose to do. He was Mr. Football Louisiana in back-to-back years in high school. He had been scouted by major league baseball since middle school. The USA Olympic Wrestling Team had been inviting him to tryouts and seminars for as long as he could remember. A lot of this was thanks to his father, legendary high school football coach Bob “Big Buck” LaCroix. Who is as famous for his win/loss record as he is for the fact that he died on the field of a heart attack while his son was under center.

Things didn’t come easy for Matt’s family after that. Medical bills and funeral expenses were tough and professional sports contracts took time. There are rules in place that keep things like that from being simple, but his family needed help now. So at 19 years old, “Kazen Croix” became the youngest wrestler in the history of the Super Athletes Wrestling Federation. His potential blew everyone away from the day he stepped into the area. Still raw around the edges, but the determination and phenomenal natural talent was obvious. He climbed his way up the ladder, winning the secondary championship before the promotion suddenly closed at the peak of its popularity.

He bounced around to national promotions trying to grab a contract to support his family, but not many places were willing to throw cash at a 20 year old with under a year of wrestling experience. He turned to the indie scene, but it wasn’t paying the bills, and like many troubled but gifted people Matthew turned to controlled substances. Pills. Drugs. Alcohol. His name around the United States became more known for being an unreliable burnout than a gifted prodigy. It wasn’t long until he was out of the industry completely, working at a machine shop as an apprentice to try and pay rent between repeated trips to rehab to “get clean.” He wasn’t supposed to see 30 before he joined his father, but that’s when someone else stepped in.

SHOGUN Wrestling in Japan reached out after an old friend put in a good word. He was brought in just like any young boy. 29 years old, living in the dojo, his every step was monitored and he was forced to work on nothing but his craft. A year later he made his Japanese wrestling debut. A nobody from nowhere, but damn did he look good. A few more years of paying dues and keeping his head on straight took him to the top of the promotion, becoming the first American to ever hold their top championship. His work began to catch the eyes of fans all over the globe, and rumor started speculating that he could be the best in the world.

American promotions, however, had heard this song and dance before. “Limitless potential” and “Incredible upside” can only get you so far when you never show up at the show, but manage to make it on TMZ the next day. A return to America meant a return to all the vices that destroyed him in the first place. Angus was willing to take that chance though. Seeing the opportunity to sign one of the biggest risk/rewards of all-time, he sent Matt to BRAZEN where they hope to catch lightning in the bottle twice.